from ALFRED SHILONGO in Windhoek, Namibia
Namibia Bureau
WINDHOEK, (CAJ News) — NAMIBIA anticipates increased cross-border trade with Angola following the rejuvenation of Helao Nafidi in the north.
The border town is undergoing a revival after years of a lull caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This past weekend, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah inaugurated the Ohangwena Times Square Shopping Complex in the town.
She described Helao Nafidi as one of Namibia’s important border communities and a symbol of perseverance, opportunity and nation-building.
The president highlighted Ohangwena’s strategic location along the border with Angola as an opportunity to expand cross-border trade.
“The complex can become an important commercial gateway, connecting Namibian entrepreneurs and producers to wider Angolan markets,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She believes the development will make a key contribution to the economic growth of Helao Nafidi, the Ohangwena region and Namibia as a whole.
Nandi-Ndaitwah called for the complex to provide space for locally produced goods, including fresh produce.
Agriculture, which the government has identified as a national priority, featured prominently in her keynote address.
“Creating markets for local producers is essential to growing the economy and generating employment,” the president said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah encouraged local and international investors to explore opportunities in Ohangwena and other parts of the country, particularly investments that create sustainable employment, support local businesses, facilitate skills and technology transfer, and strengthen domestic industries.
Trade between Namibia and Angola relies on a 1,376km shared border and regional frameworks such as the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).
– CAJ News